The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behaviour, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.” As a follower of Christ it is important to understand how our thinking about Christ has been influenced by both the Bible and Church History.
As I outlined in a previous blog titled ‘What did Jesus come to do? Historical Overview’ there have been three main explanations or interpretations of the purpose of the birth, life, work and death of Jesus, which can be expressed under the themes
- Christ as Victor
- Christ as Sacrifice
- Christ as Example
Christ as Victor
Let’s continue our historical overview with what the apostle John stated clearly and emphatically was the reason for the incarnation of Jesus … ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work’. I John3:8. This was the belief and teaching for the first 1,000 years of Church history – that Jesus was on earth ‘to destroy the devil’s work’. The resounding cry of the people of God was Christ is Victor.
But what does this mean? To further explain this position I will use some of Robert Webber’s material from ‘Ancient Future Faith’. These themes capture the catchcry of the early churches, ‘Jesus is Lord!’ (Acts 2:36)
Christ has bound Satan and all Demonic Powers
In a confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus makes the claim that He has bound Satan (Matt. 12:22-29). This event happened when Jesus healed a blind and mute man who was possessed by demons (v.22). According to the Pharisees’ interpretation, ‘it is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons that this fellow drives out demons’ (v. 24). But Jesus, in pointing out the absurdity of this thinking says, ‘if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself ‘ (v.26). Jesus categorically stated, ‘How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?’ (v.29). The key point made by Jesus is that He has power over the demonic because He has already entered into the domain of evil and found its source. The event in the life of Christ where this ‘binding’ most likely occurred is the temptation (Matt. 4: l-11). Generally, scholars are united in their recognition that the temptation of Jesus by Satan was not a test of His moral character but of His messianic calling.
This interpretation asserts that, in the temptation, Satan attempted to divert Jesus from the work His Father had called him to do, offering him the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him. Jesus’ refusal to bow to Satan signalled an important moment in the work of overcoming the power of Satan. Jesus’ rejection of Satan’s power, and affirmation of His obedience to God alone, breaks the curse initiated by Adam when he chose Satan over God in the garden.
Christ has dethroned the Powers of Evil
Paul expands the idea of God’s victory over Satan in his letter to the Colossians. He writes that Christ’s death and resurrection had ‘disarmed’ the powers and authorities and ‘made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross’ (Col. 2:I5). The meaning of the word ‘disarm’ is that of stripping a soldier of his weapons, putting him in a position of vulnerability. So Christ’s death has had the effect of exposing the deception of Satan. Christ is seen as Lord, not only over death, but over all other evil influences that seek to distort our lives.
Satan’s Influence over the Powers will eventually be utterly destroyed
Although the influence of Satan has been overcome through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the final blow to Satan will not occur until the second coming of Jesus. In Paul’s classic statement on the power of the resurrection over death, he reminds his readers that the end will come after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ‘For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet’ (1 Cor. 15:24-25)
The apostle John, in his vision of the end times, affirms the total destruction of satanic forces and assures us that the work of Christ which we have seen linked to the temptation (the binding of Satan) and the cross (the overcoming of Satan) is concluded by the second coming of Jesus (the final defeat of Satan).
Between the Resurrection and the Second Coming the Power of Satan is limited
It would be naive to conclude that Satan no longer has power in the world. He is still the master of deception. He still blinds the eyes of people to the truth. He still masterminds faith in false gods and creates messianic illusions that people follow. Yet his influence is limited, for Jesus has overcome him. ‘In this world you will have trouble’, said Jesus. ‘But take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).
Biblical theologian George Eldon Ladd provides us with helpful language on this point:
‘The Kingdom is already here, but it has not yet come in its fullness. The decisive battle is already won, but final victory is not yet completed. The Kingdom already has invaded this ‘present evil age’ (Galatians 1:4), but every knee has not yet bowed to Lord Jesus (Philippians 2:10). Like yeast in bread dough, the Kingdom today may seem insignificant; indeed it may seem invisible. But it will multiply and spread until it permeates the entire batch’. (Matthew 13:33).
Creation ultimately will be reconciled to God
The battle between Satan and Christ will have an end just like it had a beginning. The will of God is being fulfilled in Christ, as He outworks His purpose ‘to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ’ (Eph. 1:9-10). Paul mentions this same theme in his first letter to the Corinthians, telling his readers that God has put ‘everything under him (Jesus Christ), so that God may be all in all’ (1 Cor. 15:28). For Paul, this means nothing less than the re-creation of the entire universe. In his letter to the Colossians, he tells his readers that it is God’s purpose through Christ ‘to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross’ (Col. l: 20).
No matter how effective the powers of evil appear to be, their fate is sealed. Evil is not endless. Evil is not the final word in human existence. The final word is Jesus Christ. He is the reality, the truth and the hope that lies behind everything we do as Christian disciples.
Many of the current generation (Postmoderns) see a world that is out of control and without hope, standing on the brink of self-destruction. They need the hope that is found in the One who has been victorious over the powers of evil and has ultimate authority in our world. They need to meet Christ as Victor and personally experience the reality that ‘the kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah and he shall reign for ever and ever’ (Rev 11:15). We cannot effect utopia on earth. We can only put our hope in Christ and obey Him as Lord.Walking with Christ as Victor on a day-by-day basis has proved problematic for Christianity, especially in the modern world, and it will prove to be problematic for Christianity in the postmodern world unless we can grasp the concept in a way that strips away the cultural overtones. So whether we see the world as getting better and better or as self-destructing, neither of those is ultimate reality. The reality is that Christ is Victor over all the works of Satan.